Long-Term Thinking

WNBA players have their careers set for now. Most are able to pay the bills thanks to professional basketball, but what type of profession or
field would they be interested in pursuing after their playing days are over?
Some plan on staying around the game as coaches or broadcasters while others are already planning their future in another direction away from the game.

Sue Bird wants to stay involved in basketball after her playing days are over.Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

Sue Bird, Seattle Storm: "Maybe coaching, broadcasting, definitely
staying involved in basketball. It's something I obviously know about so I mind
as well stick with it."

Alana Beard, Washington Mystics: "If it wasn't basketball associated,
I'd be doing something that helps people. Whether its being a doctor, whether
its being anything that could help people, but it'd be more towards the medical
field because that interests me. In life after basketball I don't want to do
anything. I'm putting myself in a position right now where I can have opportunities
that will present themselves to me and I'll be able to choose."

Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Connecticut Sun: "If I wasn't this old,
I'd go to the FBI, but since I am older I don't know. Marketing, acting, who
knows? It's good when you can do a bunch of things really well. I love to speak,
I love people and I'm also real creative. I'm a good actress I guess and I love
analytical stuff. And I love to write."

Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx: "I'm probably going to start
a foundation, but I haven't really starting laying the groundwork, hopefully
in the next couple of months I'll have something."

Tamika Catchings would like to be a WNBA or NBA General Manager.Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty

Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever: "I have my own foundation, the
Catch a Star foundation, and I'll definitely want to continue that. And then
I'm probably going to try to be like a GM for a WNBA or NBA team, that's something
I've been talking about since I've been in the league."

Kayte Christensen, Phoenix Mercury: "I have a wedding coordinating
business right now in Phoenix, and I love to do it. And it's not just weddings
it's events and parties, and I really want it to be my career after basketball."

Cheryl Ford, Detroit Shock: "For taller girls, I want to do clothing
for taller girls and shoes. My dad and I have discussed it."

Candice Dupree, Chicago Sky: "I'm actually looking to get my masters
in business one day. My undergrad was exercise science, so maybe look to own
my own type of health facility, or something like that."

Ticha Penicheiro, Sacramento Monarchs: "I really feel like I want
to do something that would keep me close to the game. I've been playing this
game all of my life so it would be hard for me to just hang up my shoes and
turn my back on the game. I have a lot of ideas, I really don't know what doors
will open, but I really think like coaching or being an agent, maybe broadcasting,
something like that."

Nykeshia Sales would like to persue an acting career after basketball.Ray Amati/NBAE/Getty

Nykesha Sales, Connecticut Sun: "I think acting. I like a lot
of movies and I find myself trying to do a lot of the stuff that they do. The
only thing is I can't whip up any fake tears yet. But I want to be hosting something
or acting after my basketball career."

Michelle Snow, Houston Comets: "I'm not really waiting for my career
to end. I've already started two companies and am working on starting a third.
I don't want to wait. My thing is you don't wait until you have the opportunities,
you do it now so you can set yourself up. I'm not one of those people who are
going to wait around and then when I'm done try to figure out what I am going
to do. I'm going to grab it by the horns and take this opportunity by the horns
and ride it for everything that it's worth."

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury: "I really want to be a coach. The
impact coaches have had on me I think I want to have it on other kids. So I
think I would say coach"

Tina Thompson, Houston Comets: "I actually want to go to law school.
Before the WNBA I was planning to go. I've made a career at playing basketball,
but that's always remained with me as one of my goals. The WNBA was an opportunity
that you couldn't pass up. It was sort of unexpected and came out of nowhere,
and it became a choice of what I wanted to do. The basketball was here and now
and law school was something I could always do in the future.

Lindsay Whalen, Connecticut Sun: "Maybe some coaching, college
coaching, or maybe something kind of away from basketball, maybe work with a
team that's not in basketball, like work in marketing for the Twins or something
like that."

Last week, Lauren Hill of Mount St. Joseph University courageously took the floor for her first college game, refusing to let an inoperable brain tumor keep her from achieving her dream – and WNBA stars Elena Delle Donne and Tamika Catchings were on hand to lend their support.